LECTURE V. 181 



derate length -, of the same brown colour with 

 the rest of the upper parts, and is shaped as 

 in the generaUty of birds, and is in a great 

 degree concealed by the long and beautiful as- 

 sortment of the loosely-webbed floating plumes 

 springing from the sides of the back : these are 

 of the most elegant structure imaginable, and 

 are generally of a bright jonquil yellow at 

 their base, gradually growing pale or whitish as 

 they advance in length -, and besides these, there 

 are two very long naked shafts or slender quills 

 in the middle. The long floating feathers are 

 popularly called the tail of the bird, though in 

 reality, as before observed, the tail is of a very 

 diflferent appearance and structure. 



This species, or the Paradisea apoda, like the 

 rest of the genus, was once supposed to be natur- 

 ally w^ithout feet, and to float almost perpetually 

 in air, never resting, except by the supposed 

 assistance of the two long and slender naked 

 shafts or filaments before mentioned, which the 

 bird was supposed to have the power of occasion- 

 ally coihng round the branches of trees, and of 

 thus sometimes sleeping. These fables are now 

 sufficiently exploded. The Paradise-birds are said 



